The Mustangs are coming!

Prologue
After missing their early game on Saturday in the Anoka-Ramsey Showcase, I make up for lost time by seeing Breck visit Minneapolis Henry.  Its opening night for the Patriots while Breck is already 3-0.  The Henry students in a festive new season mood with noisemakers and hats.  We'll kindly ignore MSHSL Bylaw 409 which says noisemakers are not allowed.  Both teams missing an important piece.  Henry without Ibrahim Mohamed who had ACL surgery and is out for the season.  No Kwaku Bodom for Breck.  You never known what concessions at Henry will have in store so I opt for a pregame meal before arrival.  But a bottle of Powerade keeps the beverage counter ticking.

Number of Teams I've Seen: 22

Beverage Consumption Counter: 164 ounces (13 days, 11 games, 2 scrimmages added on)

Pepsi: 32 ounces
Coke: 80 ounces
Sprite: 32 ounces
Red Powerade: 20 ounces

Hot Dog Counter: 2

Song of the Day
Aloe Blacc - The Man

Game Time
Henry with a nice post set where they curled off the post, popped out and had the curling guy set a cross screen on the box.  Easy layup to start the season for the Patriots.  After another Henry bucket, Breck stars Mo Lawal and Will Culliton score the 1st 14 points for the Mustangs.  Add on a couple Justin Bergerson buckets and the run is 18-3 in 6 minutes.  18-7 Breck at the 10 minute mark.  Cory Dixon going to the Jabbar like hook to break that run.  That ignites the defense as Henry converts a turnover to cut the lead to 18-13 at the 8:25 mark.  Lawal with a jumper to push the lead back to 10.  Jermal Davis active on the glass for 4 points, Ra Hudnell coast to coast and a Jacarius Ford hoop bring Henry to within 5.  Timeout Breck with 2:11 in the half.  Henry goes zone out of the timeout and pays for it.  Lawal for 3, Henry Cousineau for 3 and then Culliton for 3 and the foul as Henry tries to switch back to man in transition.  Difficult to switch defenses on the fly.  That quick 10-2 spurt allows Breck to open up a 44-31 lead at halftime.

Breck continues to roll in the 2nd half.  Culliton with a jumper and hit, another jumper and a long 3 against a zone employed on the baseline out of bounds.  The run is 18-4 to start the half.  That blows the game wide open 62-35 with 11:30 to play. Demetrius Edwards adds a bunch of late points to cut the margin but the outcome is never in doubt.  Breck wins 80-63.

Post Game
For Henry, Demetrius Edwards scores 18 of his 20 in the 2nd half.  9 of those came in the last 2 minutes after the benches had emptied.  Henry's transition defense not there and they'll need to find somebody to rebound with Mohammed out.  When they were able to get into their pressure, they did have some success with it.  The Patriots are now 0-1.  They host Edison on Thursday before a section game at St. Anthony on Saturday.

Breck improves to 4-0 with the win.  Will Culliton 4 triples on his way to 24 points.  I had him for 9-14 shooting.  Mo Lawal scored 16 of his 17 points in the 1st half.  Henry Cousineau was very active on the glass in addition to his 18 points.  The bench is really thin with only 1 player that they'll use in big situations.  If you can run them off the 3 point line and make secondary players like soph Garrett Opperman beat you, then you have a great chance to win.  I can see teams going box and 1 or triangle and 2 on them.  They host Brooklyn Center on Thursday.